1719 



* BILLARDIERA ovalis. 



Oval-leaved Billardiera. 



PENTANDRIA MOKOGY'SIA. 



Nat. ord. PiTTOSPOBEiE. R. Br. (Introduction to the Natural System 

 of Botany, p. 138.) 



BILLARDIERA. Smith. Sepala 5, acuminata. CoroZ/a tubuloso-campa- 

 nulata, petalis 5 ; miguibus margine convolutis approximatis. Stamina petalorum 

 longitudine ; antheris liberis, linearibus, longitudinatiter dehiscentibus. Ovarium 

 rectum. 2-loculare, polyspermum. Pericarpinm moWe, spongiosum, subbaccatum, 



loculis inflatis. Seruina plurima, pulpa luilla obducta, rotunda, compressa. 



Frutices volubile.'i (Australasici) foliis integris scrratisr;e, ^orihus sub-solilariis, 

 viridi-lutescentibiis, axillaribus, pendulis. 



B. ovalis ; ramis junioribus pubescentibus, foliis lineari-oblongis obtusis utrinque 

 concoloribus, pedunculis 1-floris glabris flori subaequalibus, petalis rectis 

 obtusiusculis. 



A native of Van Diemen's Land, whence it was introduced by Mr. 

 Lowe, of Clapton, who furnished us with the specimen for our figure. 

 It is nearly related to B. longiffora, from which it chiefly differs in 

 its smaller and shorter flowers, and more oval obtuse leaves ; with the 

 fruit we are unacquainted. Its flowers change from greenish yellow 

 to dark purple, and appear in May. 



It is probable that it will be quite hardy enough to live in this 

 country trained to a west wall, if protected from wet in winter ; at 

 all events a cold pit would be ample covering for it, and for all the 

 other species. The beautiful Sollya also (figured at tab- 1466 of this 

 work) grows Avith all its native luxuriance in such a situation. 



With regard to the latter plant, we avail ourselves of the present 

 opportunity of making a few remarks touching its differences from 

 Billardiera. At the time when we described Sollya, we were acquainted 

 only with its flowers ; but their structure was so different from that 

 of Billardiera that we had no doubt of its constituting a distinct genus. 

 Its inflorescence opposite the leaves, short somewhat campanulate 

 corollas, short stamens, with the anthers adhering in a cone round the 

 style, and opening by two pores at their points, were obviously cha- 

 racters of importance when contrasted Avith the axillary inflorescence, 

 long corollas, who?e petals roll tcgether into a tube, and the long sta- 

 mens with Avidely distant anthers ( f Billardiera. Upon such marks, 

 then, the genus was formed ; and Avhen aa'c afterwards ascertained 

 that Labillardiere had described the fruit of Sollya as a dry papery 



* So named in compliment to the French Botanist La Billardiere, wlio 

 accompanied D'Entrecasteaux in his Voyage in search of La Perouse, from 1791 

 ?© 1-794. 



